Azkals on track for AFF tourney

MANILA, Philippines - Azkals coach Michael Weiss yesterday said the Pinoy booters are progressing right on schedule and he expects them to reach their peak and be fully equipped for the Nov. 24-30 AFF Suzuki Cup.

“We’re absolutely right on track,” Weiss said three weeks before his wards go to battle with Southeast Asia’s best.

The Azkals, seeking to at least duplicate their semifinal showing in the 2010 edition, have undergone an intensive build-up for the tourney, holding training camps in the US and Middle East and playing 12 international matches – nine of which were Fifa A friendlies – since June.

They have beaten Guam (3-0 and 1-0), Singapore (2-0), Macau (5-0) and Chinese-Taipei (3-1) and drawn with Malaysia (0-0), Indonesia (2-2), Bahrain (0-0), and Cambodia (0-0). They lost thrice in this stretch, to US club Chicago Inferno (1-3), Laos (1-2), and Kuwait (1-2).

For the final stretch, the Azkals will have a “mini camp” tentatively set at La Salle Zobel and a tuneup match against a still-to-be determined United Football League club on Nov. 9-10, and one more session in Cebu in the days leading to their final international friendly, against Singapore on Nov. 15 in the Queen City of the South.

“We should be very strong in the Suzuki Cup. We have done our homework, we’ll be more than prepared,” Weiss said in a radio interview.

“I don’t wanna speak of the title, I don’t wanna speak of the semis. I want to take it game by game but I think we have a very good chance of making it to the semis and that could already be a good achievement,” he added.

The Azkals are bunched with Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar in Group A, seeking to land in the top 2 at the end of the group stages to reach a second straight semis.

“We’re definitely not an opponent that Thailand, Vietnam want to play because, I don’t wanna say they fear us, but they respect our development in such a short period of time and we’re not very comfortable to play (against). I’m sure the team has a lot of power to display in the Suzuki Cup,” said the German mentor.

The Azkals’ rivals are also in a rash of friendlies and tuneup games, according to the Suzuki Cup’s website.

Vietnam played Malaysia in Hanoi last night while the Thais will get their crack at the Malayan Tigers on Nov. 7 in Bangkok.

Weiss said Philippine Football Federation technical director Aris Caslib has been tasked to scout those matches to complement the opponents’ tapes they have already gathered.

Thailand will later mix it up with Bhutan (Nov. 14) and Bangladesh (Nov. 18) while Vietnam will cap its preparations with a game against Brazilian club Gremio on Nov. 15.

Group B’s Malaysia has set fixtures with Hong Kong (Nov. 14) and Sudan (Nov. 17) while Indonesia has a gig with Sudan (Nov. 14) and Singapore has a date with Pakistan (Nov. 19).